can you please help me to understand my test results? i was diagnosed with hepatitis b about 25 years ago. my understanding was that the virus had cleared my body and i was fine. i have never told my family because i really didn't see a need but now i am concerned because i have recently started seeing a new doctor and he told me i would always have the virus in my body and could spread it. Can i still get sick from having hepatitis b?
my test results are:
hbv e abs- pos
hbv e ant- neg
hbv dna- <0.01
hbv core total abs- pos
hbv surface abs- neg
hbv surface ant- neg
hbv core igm abs- neg

Response from Dr. McGovern

Since your hepatitis B surface antigen is negative and you do not have any virus in your blood, I do not think you have chronic infection. That is the bottom line.

If your have no risk factors for hepatitis B, then I suspect you have isolated hepatitis B core antibody with the additional finding of a positive HBV e antibody positivity. You could be considered for vaccination, unless you had well documented hepatitis B infection in the past (eg, turned yellow etc).

If you do have risk factors for hepatitis B, then perhaps you have cleared your infection. However, I also doubt that since your hepatitis E antibody should have cleared along with your surface antigen.

I think a lot of how to think about your case depends a lot on how your hepatitis B infection was diagnosed in the first place. Were you sick? or did you just have the unclear laboratory picture you have today?

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